Austrian Constitutional Assembly election, 1919

Austrian Constitutional Assembly election, 1919
Austria
16 February 1919

All 170 seats in the Constitutional Assembly
86 seats needed for a majority
Turnout 2,998,297 (84.4%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Karl Seitz
Party SDAPÖ CS DNP
Seats won 72 69 8
Popular vote 1,211,814 1,068,382 173,881
Percentage 40.8% 35.9% 5.8%

Chancellor before election

Karl Renner
SDAPÖ

Elected Chancellor

Karl Renner
SDAPÖ

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Constitutional Assembly elections were held in Austria on 16 February 1919.[1] The result was a victory for the Social Democratic Workers' Party, which won 72 of the 170 seats. The party was largely supported by the working class, whilst farmers and the middle class voted mainly for the anti-Anschluss Christian Social Party.[2] Voter turnout was 84.4%. It is generally reckoned as the first free election ever held in Austria.

German citizens living in Austria and Sudeten Germans living in the then newly formed Czechoslovakia were allowed to vote in these elections, despite Czechoslovak objections (and Austrian citizens living in Germany were also allowed to vote for the Weimar National Assembly in the same year).[3]

The two main parties formed a coalition after the elections, and although it had broken up by mid-1920, a new constitution was agreed on 1 October 1920.[2] Fresh elections were held on 17 October.

Results

Party Votes % Seats
Social Democratic Workers' Party1,211,81440.872
Christian Social Party1,068,38235.969
German Nationals Party173,8815.88
Czechoslovakians67,5142.31
German Democrats64,0782.23
German People's Party59,9182.02
German Freedom and Order Party56,3651.95
Centrist Democrats48,8471.61
Styrian Farmers' Party47,0781.63
National Democratic Party46,5771.60
Carinthian Farmers' Association33,4121.12
National Socialist Workers' Party23,3340.80
German Peoples' Election Committee15,6790.51
Democrats15,1330.50
Democratic Association of Cities12,3360.41
Liberal Corporate Association of Salzburg8,5070.31
Jewish National Party7,7600.31
Democratic Middle Class Party5,9670.20
Democratic Economy Party3,9090.10
Democratic Austrian People's Party1,6880.10
Trepipartei8640.00
Economic Political Workers's Party4110.00
Invalid/blank votes24,843
Total2,998,297100170
Registered voters/turnout3,554,24284.4
Source: Nohlen & Stöver
Popular Vote
SDAP
 
40.75%
CS
 
35.93%
DNP
 
5.85%
VTP
 
2.27%
DD
 
2.16%
DVP
 
2.02%
OFP
 
1.90%
DWF
 
1.64%
Other
 
7.48%

References

  1. Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (31 May 2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. p. 196. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
  2. 1 2 Nohlen & Stöver, p173
  3. AUSTRIA VOTES TODAY. - German Part of Former Dual Monarchy Chooses Its Constituent Assembly., The New York Times, February 16, 1919 (PDF)
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